GBWR’S Club of the Month is awarded to West County Hawks.
West Country Hawks was founded in 2011 as the only club in the South West and over the years has had members training from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. Hawks are a club that still has original members playing, Ed Larkin and Rich Ingram. While other clubs have developed in the South West, the Hawks are still the only Fours club for 150 miles.
Hawks currently train at Plymouth Life Centre and have members that range from social through to elite players. Hawks are one of the few clubs who participate in all three wheelchair disciplines offered by GBWR, Fours National Series, WR5s and 3v3.
West Country Hawks is a club built around competition, including winning the first 3v3 League in 2022 and this has culminated this season in our best results particularly within Fours National Series. After winning promotion last season being unbeaten in Fours: Division Two, Hawks continued this by winning the Allied Mobility Wheelchair Rugby: Fours Division One title at our training venue, Plymouth Life Centre. The Hawks followed this up with victory in the RMA Wheelchair Rugby: Fours Nationals Cup. Two years of unbeaten results and including the Cup and Division One title confirming this group of players status as a very special group
Sadly, it’s the last time we’ll be seeing Faye West, Luke Collier, Bruno Carrico and Harri Jenkins playing in the Hawks colours. While these players are moving on to pastures new, and Hawks wish them every success, the club is in rude health with new recruitment strategies that are already bringing new players through the Life Centre doors, combined with current star players like Ed Larkin, Bryony Pym, Joe Blake-Turner and multi sporter Andy Guy.
The club has a healthy roster of volunteers including Invictus silver medal winning coach Adam Simmons, a professional photographer and social media manager courtesy of a partnership with a local university. The Hawks have grown their TikTok followers fourfold and are continuing to target this as a potential growth area and recruitment tool.
The Hawks also have a shiny new website, which is still being added to and can be found at www.hawkswheelchairrugby.co.uk Check it out!
